This follows a 2010 decision to make HTTPS the default for Gmail communications, but up until today Google had given users the ability to not use encryption. Four years ago, the company explained the opt-out as necessary because encryption could "make your mail slower."

"The team has been working hard to mitigate any performance costs, which now puts us in a position where it no longer makes sense to allow HTTP connections," a Google spokesperson told CNET. "The large majority of users already use HTTPS connections, so this is the final step in the journey."

Google notes that Gmail messages are encrypted internally, as they move about Google's servers and data centers, a measure implemented in the wake of the Edward Snowden leaks.

The company also boasted about Gmail's stability, with service available 99.978 percent of the time.

About the author

Senior writer Seth Rosenblatt covered Google and security for CNET News, with occasional forays into tech and pop culture. Formerly a CNET Reviews senior editor for software, he has written about nearly every category of software and app available.
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